Come December, the Nigerian film industry will witness an exciting showdown between three of its most prominent female filmmakers – Funke Akindele, Mercy Aigbe, and Toyin Abraham.
These talented actresses-turned-directors are set to debut highly-anticipated new movies within days of each other, providing a cinematic feast for fans this festive season.
With extensive acting careers spanning over two decades, the three women have become household names, delivering outstanding performances in numerous hit films. Their continuous rise and evolution from mere actors to movie producers and directors in their own right have been nothing short of impressive.
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Funke Akindele
” A Tribe Called Judah “
Funke Akindele headlines the pack with “A Tribe Called Judah,” a heist comedy-drama about five brothers who set out to commit a robbery to pay for their mother’s cancer treatment.
She plays the matriarch Jedidah Judah in the film, parading other Nollywood heavyweights like Jide Kene Achufusi, Timini Egbuson, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Ebelle Okaro.
This is not Akindele’s first Christmas-themed release, considering the record-shattering success of her 2022 holiday movie, “Battle on Buka Street”. With “A Tribe Called Judah” set for a December 15 release, the multi-talented filmmaker is in pole position to score another smash hit just in time for the Yuletide.
Watch the trailer
Mercy Aigbe
“Ada Omo Daddy”
Giving Akindele a run for her money is actress-turned-director Mercy Aigbe, who hits the cinemas nationwide the same day with “Ada Omo Daddy”. The film broaches the topical issue of cross-cultural relationships in modern-day Nigeria.
It tells the story of star-crossed inter-ethnic lovers, played by Omowunmi Dada and Tayo Faniran, whose engagement suffers multiple oppositions from both families.
Aigbe assembles an impressive ensemble cast, including veterans like Sola Sobowale, Charles Inojie and Taiwo Hassan, who bring extra shine to this promising cross-cultural rom-com. With her husband, Kazim Adeoti, co-bankrolling production, the actress hopes her directorial sophomore effort surpasses her ambitious 2021 debut, “The Enemy I Know” in earnings and critical reception.
Watch the trailer
Toyin Abraham
“Malaika”
Last but not least is Toyin Abraham, arguably Nollywood’s most prolific young actress. She enters the December fray with “Malaika”, a complex social drama highlighting the emotional trauma and stigmatization childless women face in conservative Nigerian society.
Ibrahim Chatta plays Abraham’s supportive husband who struggles to lift his wife’s spirits as she desperately seeks solutions to their infertility problem. With Uzor Arukwe, Taiwo Lyncett and comedic actress Anne Kansiime rounding up the cast list, Abraham may have another critical success on her hands following rave reviews received by 2021’s domestic abuse-themed “The Ghost and the Tout Too”. “Malaika” storms cinemas on 22 December.
Watch the trailer
The incoming clash of the three female film titans and their hotly anticipated titles speaks to women’s incredible strides in Nigeria’s male-dominated film industry over the past decade.
Although several female actors have risen to fame within the sector, very few make the transition to the directorial and production ranks where real power lies.
Funke Akindele blazed the trail when she decided to self-finance the sitcom “Jenifa’s Diaries” production in 2011.
The runaway success of the series and its multiple spin-offs emboldened her to try her hand at directing in 2015. Her debut effort “Your Excellency”, became one of the highest-grossing films that year, earning almost twice its production budget.
Conclusion
The strides of Akindele, Abraham and Aigbe in expanding their roles beyond acting to wield creative influence as producers and directors has blown open doors for more female practitioners to envision bigger dreams and aspire to greater heights. 2023 box office numbers has recorded more women-led or partnered projects headlined by talents like Rita Dominic, Omotola Jalade, Omoni Oboli steering their passion projects from the director’s seat.
With December now firmly established as Nollywood’s most profitable window, we are guaranteed scintillating storylines anchored on universal themes of love, family bonds and overcoming adversity as these three phenoms bring their chart-topping talent to bear on another prospective record-breaking season. Film lovers are definitely in for a pre-Christmas cracker this December whichever of the big three they decide to watch!
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